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New Music Tuesdays – Traveller’s Edition


Musicheads,

It’s been three weeks since the last New Music Tuesday post and this week’s post is both delayed and long due to the conglomeration of the missed weeks.  I only say that, because last week I was residing in the exotic locale of Urbandale, Iowa for a work trip.  This week’s post was delayed a day thanks to more out-of-towners, with vendors flying in from Tennessee for more work-related events.  Well, now that the excuses are out of the way, let’s get down to the business of music.
Two weeks ago ended with a number of stand-alone tracks being released from artists like M83 and Third Eye Blind (check them out here), but outside of that, it was a relatively slow release week, highlighted only by the third album from Ohio duo Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface.

The album is actually quite long, coming in with 14 tracks and just under an hour in overall playtime.  The album is led by the single Tear In My Heart, but has a number of sleepers to find as well, including the likes of Fairly Local, Stressed Out and The Judge.  While it is a far cry from the level of their 2013 breakout album Vessel, it still maintains the kick from that release, with additional production and a delving into newer sounds and studio technology.

Last week happened to be packed to the gills with a variety of musical genres and sub-genres. Whether the music was coming out on the Indie front from Tanlines, Du Blonde or Hot Chip, or the solo acts in Brandon Flowers or Shamir, there was a very similar outcome from all parties; lots of music to get your body groovin’.

We will kick things off with the newest album from the dance group Hot Chip and their latest album Why Make Sense?.

The album is the UK group’s first new music in two years and what an excellent set of new music it is.  Partnered with a unique marketing campaign that included a live stream paired with a retina color distinction challenge and wholly unique pressings of the album in hundreds of colors.  The new album Why Make Sense? is 10 tracks and 44 minutes long with music of varying speeds and styles of dance tracks but includes plenty of quality music.  Kicked off with the lead single Huarache Lights the album starts on a high note and just keeps on delivering.

This is followed by further strong tracks in Love Is The Future and Started Right.  The group gets quite funky on Easy To Get and reminds me of Daft Punk in Dark Night which probably are two of my favorites on the album.  I was thoroughly surprised at how good this album turned out and it will definitely get a number of spins the rest of this year.

The front man of Las Vegas stadium rock band The Killers has crafted a fabulous pop album with his latest solo release, The Desired Effect.

The album features a fantastic lead single in Can’t Deny My Love, but there is much more than just the single.

Much along similar lines of Nate Ruess’ solo work outside of Fun. and earlier band The Format, Brandon Flowers utilizes his unique voice with excellent outcomes.  The album blends a lot of styles from various generations and genres across the 10-track album. Tracks like I Can Change and Lonely Town feature big 80’s-era synth-driven tracks and familiar pop lyrical themes, while Still Want You has a very Killers feel to it (but also reminds me of Edward Sharpe) and the track Between Me And You reminds of Bruce Springsteen.

All-in-all, the album is surprisingly strong and enjoyable to listen to throughout.  It is pop all the way, but sometimes pop isn’t pure bovine scat.  This is one of those examples.

 

Shamir’s début full length album Ratchet last week may have been the surprise best album of the week in last week’s release class, and that’s saying something considering everything that came out.

Another Las Vegas native, Shamir Bailey blends 90’s house and R&B with a smooth falsetto for fantastic results.  His opening track Vegas is a fabulous kickoff track and it is followed up with the catchy pop culture-centric tracks Make A Scene and lead single from the album On The Regular.

The second single (and my personal favorite) is  Call It Off.  The video features a rad 90’s beat and puppets, so there is no way it could go wrong!

Another excellent track comes late on the album, Darker, with the aptly named track being a somber, more reserved and soulful ballad.

The album is chocked-full of surprisingly excellent music and you shouldn’t sleep on this creative blending of genres that make Shamir’s music stand out.

 

I will also briefly touch on the début LP from UK artist Du Blonde (formerly Beth Jeans Houghton), Welcome Back To Milk as it should not be overlooked.

The lead single from the album also doubles as the album opener, Black Flag.

Mind Is On My Mind is the second to last track on the album and boy it is a burner!  It features Samuel T. Herring (from Future Islands) and is a high-energy, fast-paced romp.

Hunter would probably be considered the third single behind the two previously mentioned tracks and worth a listen or three.

 

I will note that all of these albums above were from last week, and really nothing noteworthy came out this week (sorry Unknown Mortal Orchestra, you really didn’t make the cut even though I like your single Can’t Keep Checking My Phone).

Lastly, I will then leave you with a group out of Brooklyn who seem to be making a real breakthrough this year, Wet, with their latest track released about a week ago.

 

And now, as always, here was everything acquired on this New Release Tuesday:

and be sure to follow on Facebook and on Twitter @AudiofileAkwitz to get even more music updates that don’t make the posts.

Spotify Playlists:

-Akwitz

Now Playing: Wet – Deadwater


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The Audiophile’s Top 10 Albums of 2014


Musicheads,

The votes have been counted and now before we really get the new year started let’s take one final look back at the best music of 2014.

This year’s music class was a challenging one to categorize and rank considering the fact that it was an overall down year in music.  Don’t get me wrong, there was still quality music to be had and released in 2014, but in comparison to 2013, 2014 fell far short when it came to the previous year’s volume and quality of new music.  That being said, there was good music released in 2014, and yet no album truly stood out as an outright favorite; not even a steady top 3 among Best Of… lists.  That was also obvious among the voters in this year’s poll who couldn’t decide on an out-and-out winner.  There was no clear victor among the voters, with an even amount of voting for multiple albums and so I will refrain in crowning a Voter’s Choice Champion this year considering that outcome.

This year’s list offered a lot of musical diversity to choose from, whether it was in the shape of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings or St. Paul & The Broken Bones with their soulful, sometimes gospel revues, to Porter Robinson with his dominant EDM album this year, to Thievery Corporation with their bossa nova album.  There were also some very strong indie pop contenders in Wild Cub, Sleeper Agent, CLAIRE and NONONO.  Once again, Australia offered a fine plate of new music and artists with Sia, Courtney Barnett, Vance Joy, Chet Faker and The Preatures.  Quality dance music was also a popular theme in this year’s list: Kiesza, Jungle, Clean Bandit, RAC and Caribou all offered significant contributions to this area.  Diversity was key to this year’s new albums.  Acts like Tune-Yards, Sylvan Esso, Glass Animals, Future Islands and FKA Twigs all had breakout years and couldn’t sound any more different from each other.  Then there was the resplendent return of many artists: Beck, Damien Rice, the Foo Fighters and Pink Floyd’s final studio album ever.

 Now, without further ado, The Audiophile’s Top 10 albums of 2014:

#1 – Vance Joy – Dream Your Life Away – This album, highlighted by the massive singles Riptide and Mess Is Mine, is a fantastic conglomeration of tracks that has both an overarching theme, but also delivers over and over with track gems.  This Aussie exploded in 2014 and for good reason, with music that was quickly catchy and yet did not get old fast either.  His voice and music is a clever mix of Phillip Phillips, Bon Iver and Mumford & Sons and with those comparisons and the songwriting shown on his début album, it’s no question why he broke out the way he did and topped our list in 2014.

#2 –  Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso – A very close second in my book.  The massive down tempo single Coffee is offset by the high energy singles Hey Mami and Play It Right (which is my favorite track on the album).  This North Carolina duo truly had one breakout year in 2014.

#3 – Hozier – Hozier – With the smash dark hit Take Me to Church which is a heavy contender for Song of The Year which completely overshadowed a superb album behind it, there’s no question why this young Irish muse made the Top 3.  His mix of Gospel, Blues and Folk throughout the album provides a fantastic sampling of his potential and his vocal talent.  Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene is definitely the second single and is probably my favorite for the album.

#4 – HAERTS – HAERTS – Having toured most of the year with bands that broke out big in 2013, this group rode a strong EP through most of the year before putting out their self-titled full-length in late 2014.  Wings, Hemiplegia and Giving Up are just three of many tracks on this terrific indie-pop album.

#5 – Glass Animals – ZABA – What a breakout year by this British band.  Having been labeled by one writer as “the poor man’s Alt-J,” the first signing to Paul Epworth’s Wolf Tone label was a good one and absolutely slayed the music charts with tracks like Gooey, Pools and Black Mambo.

#6 – The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream – What a breakout year for this Kurt Vile-fronted Philadelphia band.  Both singles  Red Eyes and Under The Pressure are fantastic pieces of songwriting and the group’s sound as a whole can garner comparisons to Paul Simon.  This album was a top contender in many Best Of… lists for 2014 and for good reason.

#7 – The New Pornographers – Brill Bruisers – A surprisingly underrated album came from this remarkably consistent band led by Carl Newman. Tracks like Champions Of Red Wine and Dancehall Domine also offer the vocal talents of Neko Case and the album as a whole is a sturdy piece of musical craftsmanship.

#8 – Jack White – Lazaretto – The incomparable Jack White has been a figurative god-send to the music industry.  While I personally was not all that impressed by his initial solo release, his sophomore effort is incredibly well done.  Lazaretto and High Ball Stepper are outright guitar thrashers, while the duet on Would You Fight For My Love? brings a folksy, roots vibe to his music.  Want and Able is a hidden gem on this album that takes you back to some of the early The White Stripes discography.

#9 –  The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes – These Aussies followed a similar vein in 2013 and 2014 as Brooklyn’s Haerts, opening for some of the top acts of 2013. Bolstered by the breakout 2013 single Is This How You Feel?, the Sydney band’s début album is rich with quality tracks.  Two Tone Melody is one of my favorite tracks on this album, but it’s not to be outdone by It Gets Better or  Somebody’s Talking.  It might be the clear impact of the band’s influences on their musical style, or their fantastic live performance that just makes me love this group’s sound so much.

#10 – Porter Robinson – Worlds – Surprisingly, in a year wrought with a major downturn in the popularity of EDM music (and let me just say, I’ve never been a big fan of the genre myself), this album was a quality piece of craftsmanship.  The blending of robot-esque themes and ideas and removal of the human element of the vocals really worked on Worlds and actually drew true emotions from its listeners.  The singles Sad Machine, Lionhearted, Flicker and Sea Of Voices were each diverse in their own way and Google even used the lead track Divinity as the backing track for its “Year In Search” compilation video.  Not a bad year for Porter!

 

With the list now complete and a top album crowned, let us truly take an optimistic look towards the new music predicted to be released in 2015, including the likes of Tame Impala, Modest Mouse, Florence + The Machine, Radiohead, The Decemberists among many others.

 

And now here is your complete list of the top 51 albums of 2014:

And remember, be sure to subscribe to the Spotify playlist below to listen to all the top music of 2014.

Playlist: The Audiophile: Top 51 Albums of 2014

and don’t forget to follow on Facebook and on Twitter @AudiofileAkwitz at to get even more music updates that don’t make the posts.

–Akwitz

Now Playing: The Audiophile’s Top 51 Albums of 2014


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The Audiophile’s Top 51 Tracks of 2014


Musicheads,

Not every artist who has a hit track makes a hit record.  In today’s musical environment, more and more artists are choosing to, in lieu of releasing a full-length album, choose to release multiple singles or short 3 or 4-song EPs.  Should these folks be forgotten in the annals of 2014 music simply for this choice?  Here at The Audiophile, we think not.  It is for that reason that we provide you with a list of both the top albums and top tracks of 2014 because being on one of those lists does not necessarily mean they will be on the other.

Creating this list is always quite the challenge.  With soooo much music being released on a daily and weekly basis over the course of a year it is difficult to identify only 51 quality tracks that will, in the end, make the list.  Unfortunately, some quality songs didn’t make the cut, but that’s why we make lists, right?  Also, as a guideline for creating this list, if an artist may have had a huge year and had multiple singles this year, only one track will make this list.  So, for instance, Alt-J had three singles this year, Hunger Of The Pine, Left Hand Free and Every Other Freckle.  You may like one or all three, but only one will make this year’s cut (and Every Other Freckle is that track this year).

Once again, I am putting it into you, the reader’s, hands (and ears) to vote for what you believe is the best song of the year.  The voter’s choice along with the Audiophile’s Top 10 will be revealed the week of Christmas, so get your votes in now!

Share with your friends and let’s get as many votes in for this and the Album of The Year!

Vote for your favorite: 

 

  1. alt-J – Every Other Freckle
  2. Alvvays – Archie, Marry Me
  3. Birds Of Tokyo – Lanterns
  4. Bleachers – Rollercoaster
  5. Broken Bells – Holding On for Life
  6. Broods – Bridges
  7. Chet Faker – Gold
  8. Clean Bandit – Rather Be feat. Jess Glynne
  9. Coldplay – Magic
  10. Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener
  11. Duke Dumont – I Got U
  12. Fickle Friends – Swim
  13. FKA twigs – Two Weeks
  14. Foster The People – Coming of Age
  15. Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You)
  16. George Ezra – Budapest
  17. Glass Animals – Gooey
  18. The Griswolds – Beware The Dog
  19. HAERTS – Giving Up
  20. How To Dress Well – Repeat Pleasure
  21. Hozier – Take Me to Church
  22. In The Valley Below – Peaches
  23. Jack White – Lazaretto
  24. Jamie xx – All Under One Roof Raving
  25. Joywave – Tongues
  26. Jose Gonzalez – Step Out
  27. Jungle – Busy Earnin’
  28. Kiesza – Giant In My Heart
  29. King Tuff – Eyes of the Muse
  30. KONGOS – Come With Me Now
  31. Milky Chance – Stolen Dance
  32. The New Pornographers – Champions Of Red Wine
  33. ODESZA – Say My Name (feat. Zyra)
  34. Paolo Nutini – Iron Sky
  35. Perfume Genius – Queen
  36. PHOX – Slow Motion
  37. Porter Robinson – Sad Machine
  38. The Preatures – Is This How You Feel?
  39. Saint Pepsi – Fiona Coyne
  40. Sbtrkt – NEW DORP. NEW YORK
  41. Sia – Chandelier
  42. Sleeper Agent – Waves
  43. Spoon – Inside Out
  44. St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Call Me
  45. St. Vincent – Digital Witness
  46. Sun Kil Moon – Ben’s My Friend
  47. Sylvan Esso – Coffee
  48. The War On Drugs – Red Eyes
  49. X Ambassadors – Jungle
  50. Vance Joy – Riptide
  51. Wild Cub – Thunder Clatter

 

Did I miss someone or leave them off the list?  Let me know.  Discussion is always appreciated.

Don’t know some of these tracks, don’t worry, we’ve got a curated playlist just for you!

Playlist: The Audiophile: Top 51 Tracks of 2014

Here are a few others that just barely missed the list this year but are definitely worth mentioning.

2014 Honorable Mentions:

and don’t forget to follow on Facebook and on Twitter @AudiofileAkwitz at to get even more music updates that don’t make the posts.

–Akwitz

Now Playing: The Audiophile: Top 51 Tracks of 2014